MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday assured the public that the so-called “provisional understanding” between the Philippines and China on resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal does not weaken the country’s sovereign rights “in any way, shape, or form.”
During the question-and-answer portion of his attendance at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines Presidential Luncheon, Marcos explained that such arrangements are intended to prevent miscalculations or mistakes that could lead to conflict in the country’s territorial waters.
READ: West PH Sea: Hontiveros seeks Senate probe into PH-China Ayungin deal
“What the Philippines does is that when we are going to conduct a resupply mission, we issue what is… known as a NOTA, which is just a notice of your maritime movements,” he said.
“And that is the extent of it. That does not somehow make you more vulnerable or give up any of our sovereign rights or any of our territorial claims or our recognized territory, especially under the (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or) Unclos and the arbitral awards. Nothing of that has been weakened in any way, shape, or form,” he asserted.
The president stressed that issuing such a notice is a standard practice and is not limited to Chinese vessels.
Marcos’ explanation follows a June 2024 confrontation that resulted in a Filipino sailor losing his thumb, a March 2026 incident in which fire-control radar was directed at the Philippine Navy frigate BRP Miguel Malvar, and a July 2026 incident at Ayungin Shoal in which a Philippine Navy personnel was struck with a wooden baton.
In relation to these incidents, Sen. Risa Hontiveros has filed Senate Resolution No. 589 seeking an inquiry into the effectiveness of the Philippines-China “provisional understanding.”
She said the Senate needs to determine exactly what was agreed upon and whether the Philippines is actually benefiting from the understanding. /das
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